222 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
opposition, obtain possession of the whole country. 
The passes of their mountains are usually defended 
by a castle built with considerable compactness and 
solidity, and affording a tolerably good protection 
against the weapons employed by the enemies by 
whom they are commonly surrounded, but no secu- 
rity against cannon. 
The engraving represents a guard-house near the 
Rajah’s palace. It is a square, plain stone building, 
about fifteen or sixteen feet high, having an upper 
story. It stands in a small valley surrounded by 
hills, at an elevation of several thousand feet above 
the Gangetic plain. Before the entrance are two 
Boutea soldiers in the military costume of their 
country, and two men in the ordinary garb of the com- 
mon cultivators of the soil. The inhabitants of Bou- 
tan are a robust, hardy race, and though not deficient 
in personal courage generally speaking, possess little 
of the heroism of true military spirits. Their dis- 
positions are rather peaceable than warlike ; they con- 
sequently make but indifferent soldiers. Being utterly 
without discipline, they have no confidence in their 
leaders, and distrust each other. As their forces are 
summoned indiscriminately on great emergencies, they 
are composed principally of herdsmen, husbandmen, 
and villagers of various occupations, who form an ill- 
armed, ill-assorted, undisciplined rabble, never act- 
ing in concert, but carrying on a tumultuary conflict, 
fortunately for them against enemies as undisciplined 
and as ill appointed as themselves. In their battles 
they prefer stratagem to open assault, every man 
acting separately and resorting to his own cunning to 
